State population growth slows

By BOB FICK

Idaho's population grew by just nine-tenths percent between mid-2010 and mid-2011, the first year population has grown less than 1 percent since 1990.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Idaho's population at 1,584,985 on July 1, up almost 14,000 from July 1, 2010.

That growth rate ranked Idaho 16th nationally, Idaho's lowest ranking since 2000. The state's growth was two-tenths of a percentage point better than the nation overall and higher than the rates for Wyoming, Nevada, Montana and Oregon. But it was a tenth of a point below the rate for the West and well below Washington at 1.3 percent and Utah at 1.5 percent.

The District of Columbia led the nation at 2.2 percent growth followed by Texas at 1.7 percent. Utah was third.

Rhode Island and Michigan were the only states to lose population. Rhode Island fell a tenth of a percent while Michigan dropped just a fraction - fewer than 1,000 people.

Nationally, the population was up another 2.2 million to 311.6 million.

Idaho's growth was primarily natural. Births at nearly 23,000 were more than double deaths during the 12-month period. Net migration to Idaho from other states was negligible - just 62 over the year - while fewer than 2,100 people settled in the state from other countries.

The Census Bureau did estimate that more Idahoans left the state than moved in from other states between the official census on April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2010. While that net outmigration was fractional - fewer than 200 - it ran completely counter to the state's experience for nearly two decades up to the recession when Idaho was a magnet for people from throughout the country.

From 2000 to 2007, Idaho's population grew nearly 16 percent, the third fastest rate for that period among the states. Only Nevada and Arizona grew more.

Information on the Census Bureau data for Idaho is at http://lmi.idaho.gov.